Bucket-operating mechanism.



y y H. L. ALLEN.

BUCKET OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED IUHE 17, 1908. 924,71 9. Patented June 15,1909. 7 V BBHEETB-SHEET 1.

| o i 'illf I E a R a "a a R IIZZWe'JJA f I fipz/zzaifv if L. ALLEN. BUCKET OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLIOA'LIOH FILED IUNB 17, 1908.

Patented June 15, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY L. ALLEN. OF ALLIANCE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN STEEL FOCXDRIES, {it NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BUCKE T-OPERATING 'nmcnamsm.

Application filed June 17,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY L. Anton, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alliance. in the county of Stark and State of I Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Bucket-Operating Mechanisms, of which the lollowing is a specification.

My invention pertains to improvements in the operating means used in connection with buckets, such as those of the grab-bucket type, its main and leading object and purpose being to make such mechanism to a certain extent automatic in its operation. In

other words, by the employment of means embodying my invention, the operator oi an electric crane can easily and readily overn and regulate the movements of the ucket adapted to be raised and lowered by the usual rotary drum and cable, and also control the opening and closing of the bucket; that is, regulate its dumping and filling merely by controlling the actuation of the motor driving the hoisting drum.

Briefly stated, my invention includes the employ-uncut of a supporting hook, used during the dumping or d scharging operation to support. the bucket, which is automatically displaced or pushed out of operative position by the bucket itself or some part associated with it when not wanted so as to permit descent of the bucket for another load, electromagnetic means in circuit with the hoisting drum motor being provided for temporarily maintaining the hook displaced. As soon, however, as the current in the motor ceases flowing, as during the interval when it is reversed to again hoist the bucket, the electromagnetic means becomes ino'ierative to retain the hook displaced, and it returns'to normal operative position due to its own gravity.

On the accompanying drawings, forming a nut ofthis specification, I have illustrated in detail a desirable embodiment of this invention.

' indicated closed; Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating 'the method of discharging the load view of the hook used to support the bucket.

Specification of Letters Patent.

of the bucket; and Fig. 4 is an edge Patented June 15, 1963.

1908. Serial No.439,078.

The traveling bridge or girder It) of th crane has rollers or wheels 11 at its opp ends which are adapted to roll or travel suitably-supported rails 12, as usual customary in constructions of this (clinic Reciprocatory on the top of the bridge or girder I rovide the usual caizriage or truck 13 rovided with supporting wheels H, a rotary noisting drum 15, and a drum driving electric motor l6,the operation of which is governed by an operator 1n the car or platform 17 at one end of the bridge or girder.

The bucket proper has two sheet-natal 'spades or scoops 18 and 19, the former of "which is supplied with a pair of spaced arms v 20, the latter having similar arms 21, the

3 two pairs of arms being hinged or pivoted together on a common rod or shaft :22

Each of the two arms or projecti' has on its inner surface a lu 23 havi a a o.

face 4 and a bottom face 25, sl'rown most clearly in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Pirated on a pin 26 supeorted by the spaced or Z i em do a loc 'ing lever .27 having at 1? en a steel-shod foolconnected ends of the arms 21 by one or mo e c ll l 29 which limit swinging or turnin l locking lever 27 in one direction. I l on the opposite side of its fulcrum has 11 en:

or block 30 adapted to cooperate with lugs 23 to maintain the spades or she the bucket in the open position indicat Fig. 3. Each spade or shovel l8 and connected to a bucket-supporting shaft 31 by means'of a pair of links .3; 33, one or'more sheaves 34 being provided adjacent to the bucket-supporting shalt rod 31 for the guidance of one or more cabl. 35 adapted to cooperate with the hoisting at 36 to the arms 21 or a suitable cross-red.

Hinged at 36 on a bracket 37 mounted in any suitable manner on the truck or carriage 13, I provide a hook 38 having a dmvuuordly extended tail 39 and a bottom inclined or beveled surface 40 normally in the upward path of travel of the supporting rod or shaft 31 of the bucket. Above the supporting ortion or projection 38 of the hook 3* the face 41, am opposite this cam portion it supplied with an armature 4'. on thre" of an outwardly -cxim1 dwl arm 43. The

1 porting portion-H having a curved slot 5.)

nef- :1

drum 15, and connected at their lower ends F 7 atter is supplied with a com or inclined :-n!

' It will be readily understood that the beam orgirder is rovided with a plurality of electrically condircting contact strips 4-8 on which slide a plurality of contact brushes, not shown in detail, these electrical features and connections bcin well understood in the art. It is merely sul cient to state that .the

coils of-thc magnet are in the circuit of the motor, whereby when the motor is running the magnet 47 is energized, and when the motor is stilLthe magnet is denergized.

The operation of the structure herein shown and described is substantially as follows: Assuming that the hoistingdrum is paying outthe cable or cables 35, causing "the lowering of the bucket in locked open condition, as indicated in F i 3, the shoe or foot 28 of the tripping or loc ng lever 27 in I the supporting bar 31Twill engage the beveled or this condition of the parts formin thelower:

most member of the bucket, it is a parent that when the shoe or foot 28 strikes t 1e sand or other material to be raised, the. lever 27 will be turned on its fulcrum 26 sufli'ciently to free the tooth or projection 30 from the underside of the lugs 23, thereby unlockin Y 35' the hinged jaws or scoops of the bucket. I the rotation of the drum 15 is now reversed so as to wind up the cable or cables 35, the

bucket will be raised, and during this initial movement ofthe parts the bucket will close to the condition indicated in Fig.2, at the same time scoo ing or grabbing up a load of the sane or ot ler material on which it has temporarily rested on come in contact. As ucket continues its upward travel the inclined surface40 of the hooleSS, swinging the hook laterally on its'pivotal sup ort 36 so that the bar or rod 31 passes by't e outwardly-ex'tended finger .38 thereof, whereupon the hook, due to its own gravit swings back, to vertical position beneath t e. rod or vpin 31. The cab e or cables 35 are now paid out from the drum15 so that the bar 31 engages the hook and is supported thereby,

rther paying out of the cable or cables causing the indicated in charge or dumping of its load. Asrthe parts of the bucket a preach-their OpBIlrPOSltiOIl,

opening up of the bucket,- as is the face 30 of t 1e finger or lug 3O first strikes theside face- 24 of the bar-23, afterward passing therefrom sothat the pi'ojection 30 comes under the lugs 23,. asis indicated in Fig. 3, thereby locking the bucket in'epenmost position.

3, and a consequent dis- In order to free the bucket and its supporting members from the hook 38 so that they may be permitted to descend fora new load, the operator controls the motor of the drum so as to wind u the cable or cables 35 and raise. the rod 31 and they bucket. During this upward movement of the rod or shaft 31 it engages the bevel or cam edge of the portion 41 of the hook, forcing the hook to one side sutficiently -to the armature 42 into the field of action of the core 46 of magnet 47, the armature bein attracted to and held in contact with t 1e pole faces of the core, as will be readily understood. The magnet at this time, is energized because current is flowing through the motor driving the drum. While the hook is thus held displaced or thrust to one side by the cooperating rod 31- and the cam or bevel edge, the current of the motor isreversed to'lower the bucket, and, owing to the continued displacement of the hook by the magnet, the current being on during the descent of the bucket,

the rod 31 escapes the hook in its downward travel. When the bucket reaches the material of which. it is to scrape or scoop up a load, and the motor is reversed to elevate or hoist the bucket, the o erator, through thecontroller, allows a su icient interval of time during which no current flows to the motor and ma et to denergize the latter and permit the 00k to swing back to normal vertical operative position, as shown in Fig.

2, read to-again' engage the pin or rod 31.

The oose connection between the core 46 of the magnetand'its supporting element 44 is provided so that the hook and bucket may swing without injury to any of the parts. I have shown the hook .38 supplied with an upper sup lemental book 38*, which may be a 0 used or suspending the bucket,

if desired. It is, of course, to be understood that after the lifting of a load in the bucket the latter may be carried or transported'by the crane to any desired spot before the load is discharged.

Although I have set forth in damm t:

improved construction, and its operation,' I' desire to have it understood that the invention is not restricted and limited to' the exact structures shown and described, the structural features offwhich may be modified to a considerable extent withoutdeparture from the substance of my invention.

I claim: J

1. The combination of a. bucket, means by which said bucket may be su ported, means to hoist and lower said buclibt, a suitablysupportedj hook normally im the path of travel of 'said bucket-sugiportling lmeans and y adapted to sue 'end sai ment with' sai bucket-supporting means electro-magnetic means to maintain said hook inoperative upon said bucket-supporting means, and means to cause said electromagnetic means to become operative upon said hook, substantially as described.

2. The combinati n of a bucket, means by which said bucket may be supported, means to hoist and lower said bucket, a. suitablysupported hook normally in the path of travel of said bucket-supporting means and adapted to suspend said bucket by engage-v ment with said bucket-supporting means, eleetro-magnetic means to .maintain said hook inoperative upon said bucket-supporting means, and means actuated during movement of said bucket to cause said electro-magnetic means to become operative upon said hook, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a bucket, means by which said bucket may be supported, means to hoist and lower said bucket, an electric motor to drive said latter means, a suitablysupperted hook normally in the path of travel of said bucket-supporting means, elcc tic-magnetic. means in the circuit of said motor and adapted to maintain said hook inop emtive upon said bucket-supporting means,

and means to cause said elcctro-magnetio means to become operative upon said hook, substantially as described.

4. The coml,-.ination of a bucket, means by which said bucket may be supported, means to hoist and lower said bucket, a suitablysupported hook normally in the path of travel of said bucket-sup ortingmeans and adapted to sustain said bucket by'engagement with said bucket-supporting means, a suitably supported magnet, an armature connected to said hook, means acting during the raising of said bucket-sup orting means to displace the hook sulticient y whereby its armature is brought into the field of influence of said magnet and the-hook is maintained inoperative upon and out of the path of travel of said bucketesupporting means as long as said magnet is energized, substantially as describedn 5. The combination of a bucket, means by which said bucket may be supported, means to hoist and lower said bucket, an electric motor to operate said latter means, a suitably-supported hook normally in the path of travel of said bucketsupp0rting means and adapted to sustain said bucket by cngagement with said bucket-supporting means, a

' suitably-supported magnet in the circuit of said electric motor, and an armature connected to said hook, means acting during the raising: of said liucket-supporting, means to displace the hook sufficiently whereby its armature is brought into the field of influence of said magnet and the hook is maintained inoperative upon and out of the path of travel of said bucket-supporting means as lone as said arnmture is energized, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a bucket, means by which said bucket may be su ported, means to hoist and lower said buc I *t, an electric motor to drive said. latter means, asuitablysupported hook normally in the path of travel of said bucket-supporting means and adapted to sustain said bucket by engagement with said bucket-supporting means, a suitably-supported elcctro-magnet in the circuit of said electric motor, an armature for said umgnet on said hook, and a cam or beveled surface on said hook with which said l ucket-supporting means is adapted to cooperate to displace the book suificicntly during the raising of said. bucket-supporting means whereby said armature is broug t into the field of influence of said magnet and the hook is maintained inoperative u on and out of the path of travel of said buc ct-sup porting means as long as said magnet is energized, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a bucket, means by which said bucketmay be supported, a hoisting and lowering drum, a ca LB connected to said bucket and cooperatingwith said drum, an electric motor to drivesaid drum, a pivoted hook normally in the path of travel of said bucket-supporting means and adapted to sustain said bucket by engagement with said bucket-supporting means, said hook having a beveled surface with which said bucket-supporting means cooperates to shift the hook to permit the buckebsupporting means to'pass by the same, a suitabl -supported electric magnet in circuit wit said electric motor, an armature for said magnet connected to said hook-and a cam or beveled surface on said hook with which said bucketsupporting means cooperates to displace the hook suflicient-ly during the raising of said ticket-supporting means whereby the urineture is brought into the field of influence of said magnet and the operative upon and out of the peth of travel of the bucket-supporting means as long as said magnet is energized.

' HARRY L. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

WALTER M. FULLER, Cass. F. hiURRAY.

hook is maintained in- 

